


Realizing

by Lazchan



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Gen, Manga Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-21
Updated: 2015-06-21
Packaged: 2018-04-05 11:04:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4177434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lazchan/pseuds/Lazchan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Guen tries to help Zeno recover from his first full battle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Realizing

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [Dándose cuenta](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8268125) by [narutinachan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/narutinachan/pseuds/narutinachan)



> This was written for XL, who wanted a bit of brotp with Zeno and Guen. Spoilers obviously for chapters 100+.

Guen looked over at the youngest of the dragon warriors and snorted to himself. Dragon warrior…he seemed too weak to be one, but his ability to heal was apparently more astonishing than the simple demonstration he gave them before. He had protected Abi and almost lost his life. Still, the shock of it still sat with the kid badly. He was staring at his food, not even bringing up his bowl to taste the broth and Zeno had proved that he had enjoyed a good meal. 

"Hey," he sat down next to him, tone abrupt. "Since when did you stop eating?" He wasn't about to let his own food go to waste and maybe with him shoveling his meal in, Zeno would get the hint and start the process himself. "Didn't you say that it was a bad thing to waste anything the heavens offered?"

Zeno started, looking down at his bowl as if seeing it for the first time. "I…." he swallowed hard. "They called me a monster. I… I am one, aren't I?" he asked. "I should have died." His expression was lost, eyes blank again and Guen swallowed down a curse. 

"You didn't think people didn't call us monsters?" Guen stared down at him, displaying his hand, larger and scaly, even with as powerful as it was, people still cringed away from the power It held. "Did you miss the part where we became more than human with the dragons blood?" he was starting to feel more connected, the longer their lives went on; the more time they spent with each other and Hiryuu and he could feel how broken Zeno was inside and he swore again, this time not bothering to censor his words. 

"I… yeah, but…" Zeno rubbed at his clothes, biting his lip. "I didn't think—I was cut open, Guen," his expression was serious. "That was a killing strike. I don't…." 

"Hey, you said you healed fast. Maybe you just heal really fast and the worse it is, the faster you heal," Guen slapped him on the back, nearly sending him sprawling into his food. Ah, one demonstration of healing didn't make him stronger, it seemed. Still a young, weak looking child. "Don't worry so much about it, kid. Just don't throw yourself into the middle of battle and you won't have to deal with it. Leave it to the rest of us." Guen grinned widely. "We're more than a match for a half-baked line of troops." 

Zeno managed a tremulous smile, but he still looked conflicted. 

"You're not a monster, Zeno," Guen snorted and shook his head. "Just taking the kids bounce back faster thing a bit far, but you're not the type that'd ever kill." He finished the rest of his food and resisted the urge to scoop up Zeno's, but the kid had to eat at some point. 

"You know, Hiryuu think you're worth something," Guen had to leave with a parting shot. "But if you tip over or starve yourself because of one freak accident on the field, you won't be able to protect him in the way you want to." His gaze was shrewd. "You don't want to disappoint our crimson haired king, do you?"

Zeno shuddered and covered his face with his hands for a moment, breathing deeply. "No. I just wanted to be strong to protect people. I helped the people in my village, answering their questions that the god gave me the answers to. It wasn't…. it wasn't protection like you, or Abi or Shuten gave your villages. It was just words. What did the Ouryuu see in me that he thought I could protect so many people, protect their beloved brother with words and a sturdy body?"

Guen rubbed the back of his head, uncomfortable. He'd thought something of the same—it was an unsteady time and warriors were needed, but … he thought about the priest that had been in his village. An old man that wavered when he walked, his head in the clouds, but when times were the worst, he had words of comfort for those who needed it. He hadn't thought much about him, but… he supposed he did good things. 

Still—Zeno was just a kid, not a warrior. Even Abi with his little animals around was able to fight more and wasn't as bothered by it as much as Zeno was. And Zeno had heart and tried, at least—even if he got beat up and knocked down. He was determined to try and fulfill his role as a dragon warrior. Not for the first time, Guen felt the ties of blood tug faintly. They were all connected, by the will of dragons and the heavens. 

He rested his hand on the back of Zeno's head, patting it like you would to a child. "You're protecting him just fine. People need a priest, too, Zeno." He sighed and took a quick drink, fumbling his words. Kid needed someone to look after him, too and their head-in-the-clouds king didn't seem to realize sometimes that Zeno struggled with what he could do. "Focus on your strengths, same as the rest of us."

Zeno blinked and started to laugh a little. "Wow, I didn't think you could say stuff like that," he seemed to regain a bit more of his cheer and Guen gave a sigh of relief. "You sound almost serious and like an adult." 

"Hey, brat! I am an adult, more than you are!" He mimed swiping at him and Zeno pulled away, laughing some more. If the laughter was a little forced and over-bright, neither one said anything. Guen snagged him in a hug, the dragon blood in both of them brightening for a moment, wrapping tighter. "Someone's gotta look after you, after all." 

Zeno just smiled and tugged away after a moment, sitting down again in front of his rapidly cooling meal. "What, you're going to do it, big bro?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and taking a sip of his meal as if nothing had happened at all. His face at the cold soup was the only indication, but he gamely went on. He never liked to waste food; too many people had too little of it. 

Guen just laughed and swatted him on the back of the head. "What, you want Shuten to be the brother figure?"

"We're all brothers together, remember?" Zeno's gaze was clear and steady this time as he looked up at Guen. "Always."

"Yeah, yeah—until we return to the heavens and all that priestly nonsense," Guen waved it off, trying to dispel the serious attitude, wanting that stupid grin of Zeno's back. 

Zeno nodded and ate the rest of his food quickly, running a hand through his hair and then resting his hand on the medallion that Hiryuu had given him. He felt both uneasy and comforted with the weight of it, still trying to puzzle out why he was given such an important item. "Everything returns to the heavens and our bonds will endure even after that, I'm sure." 

Guen was about to reply to that, but the door slammed open and shouting echoed through the corridors, calling for the dragons to come and fight, to protect the people—to lend their strength in protecting Hiryuu and his impossible dreams again.

Zeno bit his lip and got up unsteadily, but resolve was in his eyes. He would do what he had to do. He couldn't let his brothers go alone and if he had to be a shield for them—this body that healed all too easily, he would do what he could do.

"Let's go," he murmured. "King Hiryuu needs us."

Guen could only nod, but he couldn't help but think, _King Hiryuu won't be the only one who will cry if you're lost because you’re so determined to protect us and him and the people. Your brothers in arms, in blood—we'll be hurt, too._

He didn't want to see Zeno die.


End file.
